Jones’ “Source” to Open 2011 SXSW Film Festival

Jones' "Source" to Open 2011 SXSW Film Festival

The world premiere of director Duncan Jones’ “Source Code,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga will open the 2011 South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival (SXSW), the event said Thursday. The Summit Entertainment release, descibed by the festival as a “smart action thriller,” is the second feature from Jones, the son of David Bowie, whose first film, “Moon” debuted at SXSW in 2009.

In “Source Code,” decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, and soon discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In a description provided by SXSW, the assignment is “unlike any he’s ever known. He learns he’s part of a government experiment called the ‘Source Code,’ a program that enables him to cross over into another man’s identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.”

“We are delighted to welcome Duncan Jones back to SXSW. His debut ‘Moon’ showed an intelligence, skill, and exceptional use of limited resources that’s exactly the kind of filmmaking we love to support,” commented Janet Pierson, Producer of the SXSW Film Festival in a statement. “’Source Code’ is a terrific follow-up; it’s a smart, suspenseful thriller, and a perfect fit for our 2011 opening night!”

Written by Ben Ripley, Summit will open the film nationwide on April 1st. Known for its mix of debuting Hollywood action thrillers along with its base of indie fare in its competition sections and other sidebars, SXSW opened its 2010 edition with Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass.”

The complete festival lineup will be announced in early February 2011. In addition to nine days of screenings, the film festival will ultimately feature over 80 sessions of panels and workshops in its conference. In related news, the event said that director Catherine Hardwicke will share her approach to filmmaking in a directing workshop at the 2011 event, taking place March 11 – 19 in Austin, TX.